Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Belgium instead of New Zealand, you would:

Health

be 28.2% less likely to be obese

In New Zealand, 30.8% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Belgium, that number is 22.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 30.3% more money

New Zealand has a GDP per capita of $48,800 as of 2023, while in Belgium, the GDP per capita is $63,600 as of 2023.

be 47.3% more likely to be unemployed

In New Zealand, 3.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Belgium, that number is 5.5% as of 2023.

pay a 62.7% higher top tax rate

New Zealand has a top tax rate of 33.0% as of 2016. In Belgium, the top tax rate is 53.7% as of 2016.

Life

be 28.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In New Zealand, approximately 7.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Belgium, 5.0 women do as of 2020.

have 14.3% fewer children

In New Zealand, there are approximately 12.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Belgium, there are 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 11.7% more on education

New Zealand spends 6.0% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Belgium spends 6.7% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 11.0% more on healthcare

New Zealand spends 10.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Belgium, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 99.6% less coastline

New Zealand has a total of 15,134 km of coastline. In Belgium, that number is 66 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Service Public Fédéral Finances, The World Factbook, New Zealand Inland Revenue Department.

Belgium: At a glance

Belgium is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 30,278 sq km. Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830; it was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II. The country prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Political divisions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy. Its capital, Brussels, is home to numerous international organizations including the EU and NATO.
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How big is Belgium compared to New Zealand? See an in-depth size comparison.

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